Overhead door construction



June 9,1936. w, .5. REDRUP' 2,043,490

OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCT ION ATTORNEYS.

June 9, 1936. W D. REDRUP 2,043,490

' OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 14, 1935 l 2 sheets-sheet 2ATFORNEY.

Patented .June 9, 1936 STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTIONcorporation Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,789

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a sectional door which is of the rolling andfolding type such as disclosed in the co-pending application, Serial No.574,716, flied November 13, 1931, entitled Folding door construction,but is not necessarily sole- 1y restricted thereto.

The chief object ci this invention is to produce an improvedcounterbalancing system, particularly for a door of the aforesaid typesand generally for a folding door arrangement and wherein there isobtained a change in effectiveness of the system during the movement ofthe door from closed to open positions and Vice Versa.

The chief feature of the invention consists in modifying theeffectiveness of a multiple counterbalance arrangement at apredetermined point in the movement of the door by changing the pulleyand cable (or equivalent support) system from direct action to a modiedaction and Vice versa.

One feature of the invention consists in anchoring both ends of thecable system to the door.

Another feature of the invention, when weights are utilized forcounterbalancing, consists in providi-ng an adjustable weightconstruction, and when dual weights are employed either or both may beof adjustable character.

The full nature of the invention will be more fully understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claimst In thedrawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the door and one o1" the sideguide structures and associated parts, the door being shown in the doorclosing position, the dotted lines indicating an intermediate position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the guide structurewith the door in the overhead and folded position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the left half portion of the door and guidestructure in the closed position, the dotted lines diagrammaticallyindicating the open position, the weights being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of the counterbalancing arrangement shownin the door closed position corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the same parts in the partiallyopen position, shown dotted in Fig. l.

In the drawings there is illustrated a pair of substantially verticalupwardly directed guide or trackway structures I0, the same beingoppositely directed and positioned at opposite sides of the dooi1 andincluding a face II and an opposite face I2, the guide being ofsubstantially channel arrangement. One or both of the face structuresmay have an intulned flange I3. The side jamb I5 covers a weight boxarrangement in which are mounted the weights.

Herein the door structure is shown of the sectional and folding type butis not necessarily limited thereto in its broadest phase with respect tothe counterbalancing system. Herein also the door structure isillustrated as comprised of an odd number, to wit, three sections,although ve sections or any additional odd number of sections may beutilized when the door has its upper section move rearwardly and theother sections fold into an overhead position beneath the top section.These sections also may be of equal or unequal length.

Herein the bottom section is indicated by the numeral I9, theintermediate section by the numeral and the upper section by the numeral2 I. 20

Sections 2i) and ZI are hingedly connected together at 22. Sections I9and 20 are similarly connected together as at 23. Certain of thesections mount guide members in the form of wheels 24 that travel in theupwardly directed track or guides before mentioned.

The upper door section near its upper edge carries the guide wheel 25which is mounted in the projecting end 28 of an angular bracket memberE20, adjustably secured at the Side of the door. This structure isduplicated at each side of the door and each guide wheel is associatedwith a horizontal rearwardly directed track 30, the latter terminatingin an abutment or stop which may be cushioned if desired. Herein saidstop member is shown comprised of a transverse connection SI thatconnects the rearward and free ends of the horizontal tracks which arechannel shaped and opposite-ly directed. Member 3l serves as a spacingand bracing member. A coil spring 2l is suitably secured as at 32 to theupper edge of the upper door section at an appreciable distance in fromthe side edge thereof and the opposite end of the spring is secured atthe rearward end of the rearwardly directed guide 30, or may be securedto the member 3I when employed adjacent the connection of said member tothe horizontal guide 30, such connection being indicated at '33. Therearward ends of members 30 and/or the rearward ends of springs 21 maybe secured to the ceiling or supports depending therefrom.

In certain instances, the door may be provided with springs 34 whichherein are shown positioned at each side of the door. A single spring 34may be employed, if desired, and may, if desired, 55

be medianly positioned. The spring 34 is secured at one end as at 35 tothe upper door section and its opposite end to the next lower doorsection at 35. The upper section has its upper end moved rearwardly, asindicated in Fig. 2. Said spring assists in the elevational movement ofthe second section, and the lower section or sections when more thanthree are employed, and also assists in breaking the door at the rsthinged joint and assists in the automatic folding of the sections.

The counterbalancing structure, which is the chief feature of theinvention, is provided in duplicate, one arrangement being positioned ateach side of the door. Each counterbalancing arrangement, see Figs. 1,2, 4 and 5 comprises a cable 31 secured as at 38 to the lower portion ofthe lower door section and at a point a considerable distance above thebottom of the door. Said cable is directed upwardly and rearwardly withreference to the side jamb passing over a guide pulley 39. The cable 3'!after passing the guide pulley 39 passes under pulley i8 and attachedthereto is one of the counterbalances, herein shown in the form of aweight and indicated generally by the numeral i'l. The cable 37 thencepasses upwardly and over a pulley 42 and is connected at di to anextension .of the hinge pin which also serves as a support for the guidewheels 24 at the connection between the rst and second top sections. Inthe run of the cable be'- tween the pulleys i8 and 42, there isinterposed a second weight indicated generally by the numeral I6.

In the present form of the invention, it will be-noted the cable isinterrupted and the second or weight IS is interposed therebetween.

The weight I6 is approximately 131/2 percent of the weight of the rstsection plus the total weight of the second section, plus the weight ofthe glazing, if used, in either or both sections. The weight I'I isapproximately 41 percent of the weight of the rst section plus theweights of the second and third sections, plus the weight of any glazingused in any section.

As shown, the weight structure il is combined with pulley I8 andcomprises a yoke 50 that supports the pulley and depending from the yokeis a bolt 5l. A nut 52 mounted on the lower end retains the desirednumber of disc weights 53 perforated at 5d for mounting upon the bolt.

The cable 39, as before mentioned, is interrupted and the end 55 issuitably secured as at 5S to a weight supporting member 5l, the otherend thereof as at 58 connecting to the other end of the cable at theinterruption. Suitably mounted on the member 5l are the desired numberof disc weights 59, whereby the amount of counterbalancing included inweight l5 may be adjusted to that desired or necessary.

As the door opens, both Weights travel downwardly, the distance betweenthe two weights gradually increasing as the sections start folding. Theweight i8 comes to rest when the guide 25 between said sections 2l andV22 reaches the top of the vertical track or, otherwise expressed, whenthe top section 2l is positioned, as shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter theweight l'l continues its movement downwardly until it reaches itslowermost position when all the sections are folded in the overheadrelation, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description and drawings that ata certain period in the movement of the weights, the full effectivenessof both weights is obtained and that at a certain position in themovement of the door, the effectiveness of Weight I1 is divided. Theremay be intermediate positions where the effectiveness of the weightvaries from that before mentioned. In certain instances when a latchmechanism is associated with the door construction and socalled fullautomatic opening is desired, the springs 3d are employed. In otherinstances, a latch mechanism may be employed and the springs 34 omittedor the latch and the springs 3d may be omitted. Such latch mechanism isdisclosed in the pending application before mentioned.

Inasmuch as the two weights never pass each other, a single runway orhousing is sufficient and in this particular the present invention dit.fers from that shown in the co-pending application. In View of the factthat one run of the cable 31 moves along the side of the weight IB inthe weight housing, the weight i6 is preferably made in elongated formto permit clearance between the weight and the cable. The weight il maybe made elongated or of any desired width and the discs both 59 and 53may be either square, rectangular or circular in outline as found mostpractical. Usually the discs 53 will be square or rectangular, since itis easier to form a rectangular weight runway. In certain instances,spring means may be substituted for the counterweighting butcounterweighting is preferable.

The invention claimed is:-

1. In a sectional door having a plurality of door sections hingedlyconnected end to end and adapted for movement into an overhead positionto expose a door opening, a counterbalancing system at a side of thedoor including a single cable or the like connected at opposite ends tothe same side of door, a pair of overhead pulleys stationarily mountedon the door frame or the like adjacent the opening each associated withsaid cable, a plurality of counterbalances, and a iioating pulleyoperatively associated with said cable between the rst mentioned pair ofpulleys, said floating pulley constituting an anchorage for one end ofone of the counterbalances, the other counterbalance having a relativelyxed connection with said cable between said iirst mentioned pair ofpulleys.

2. A device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the cotmterbalancesbeing of counterweight character, the pulley anchorage for one weightbeing of support character, one of said weights including an elongatedmember and perforated sectional weight members thereon for weightadjustment.

3. A device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the counterbalancesbeing of counterweight character, the pulley anchorage for one weightbeing of support character, each of said weights including an elongatedmember and perforated sectional weight members thereon for weightadjustment.

WILL D. REDRUP.

